Where Life Has Led Us, Where Life Will Lead Us
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: After seeing another killer walk free, Martin isn't sure how much of being on the police force he can take anymore. Will he fully be able to walk away? (Co-written with Cry-Of-A-Warp-Engine)
1. What's All Happened Before

_**January 5th 2010…**_

_Being as careful as he could, Martin Castillo unlocked the door and walked into the house before he closed the door… and saw 17 year old Alison asleep on the couch, which didn't surprise him as when they were younger, Alison and Miguel often tried to wait up for Martin and Gina._

_With Miguel now in college, Martin wasn't sure if Miguel held onto that habit… but he walked over, lifted Alison up into his arms and took her upstairs to her room._

_Martin tucked her into her bed, Alison stirring around and opening her eyes._

_"Dad? You're home." Alison responded as she sat up and they hugged._

_"You tried to wait up for me…" Martin replied as they let go._

_"I guess I fell asleep after Mom went upstairs… bad night on the job?" Alison responded, Martin lightly brushing her shoulder length hair back._

_"It was but I'll tell you more about it in the morning, sweetie." Martin explained._

_Alison nodded, stretching out on her side and closing her eyes… and Martin kissed her forehead before leaving her to rest._

_Martin walked into his and Gina's room, getting out of his work clothes and shoes and getting into his pajamas before climbing into the bed… and Gina opened her eyes before the two kissed and held each other._

_"Case got dropped, the dealer walked away." Martin explained, Gina turning livid._

_"We had him nailed to the wall on that murder!" Gina responded._

_"We did but he'll slip up. They often slip up." Martin replied._

_"They do… but you're thinking of something, I know you are." Gina responded._

_"I know I won't be able to collect any social security benefits until I'm 65 but… I've been contemplating retirement for a while, Gina." Martin explained, Gina taken aback._

_"Retirement? Martin, you've been lieutenant of the police department for 26 years." Gina responded as Martin lightly rubbed her back._

_"I know, Gina… but I often think about what life would be like without the stress of a demanding job. I don't know how exactly I'll tell Ali and Miguel." Martin replied._

_"We'll tell them together." Gina responded before they kissed, closing their eyes and settling into sleep._

_Walking away from the door itself, Alison walked into her room and quietly closed the door… and grabbed her IPhone 3G, seeing a text from Ryan._

_'I'm outside, I can see that you're awake, Babe.'_

_'Meet me outside by the hedgerow in the back?' Alison responded._

_The two met up and kissed, Alison explaining what she overheard and Ryan gently pulling her into a hug._

_"It's the person who murdered Erica, her family deserves justice and they're not gonna get it because Britt was too frightened to sign her statement and said it was coerced!" Alison responded, Ryan lightly rubbing her back._

_"I know it's not fair. Your parents, Billy, Trudy, me and everyone at the department worked so hard to get this prick behind bars." Ryan replied._

_"Best police department in Florida. I don't even want to imagine who'll take over when my dad retires." Alison responded before they kissed._

_She carefully snuck him into the house and into her room, the two lying down in her bed after Ryan kicked his shoes off and pulled his clothes off before they held each other._

_Her head resting on Ryan's right shoulder, Alison closed her eyes… and Ryan kissed her forehead._

_"Sleep well, Babe." Ryan whispered, closing his own eyes and settling into sleep himself._

_Both hoped that tomorrow would be better…_

**Present time**_**, January 6th 2010…**_

Awake early, Alison and Ryan kissed as they held each other.

"I want every morning to be like this. Waking up in your arms." Alison responded quietly.

"I do too, Darlin'." Ryan whispered, lightly kissing Alison's forehead as _I'd Really Love To See You Tonight _by England Dan and John Ford Coley played on the nearby radio at a low volume. "My mom has told me countless times that she and my dad danced to that song…" He replied quietly, Alison lightly brushing Ryan's tears away.

"You wish he was here, I know you do." Alison whispered.

"He would've loved you and I bet he would've asked me _"When are you gonna marry that sweet girl of yours?"_." Ryan responded.

Him never getting to know Eddie made him hate the Calderone family even more.

Ryan got dressed and Alison snuck him out to the back before they kissed and he left… and Alison headed back indoors, hearing her phone ring and answering it.

"Hey, Amber, how are ya?" Alison asked.

"A bit perplexed at something that happened yesterday." Amber explained.

"Well you can talk to me about it." Alison responded.

"In person. Can you meet up with me at the boat?" Amber replied.

"Sure. Just give me a bit to get ready and I'll be there." Alison responded before they hung up and she got ready for the day and left a note reading _'Had to go meet up with Amber, she needs to talk to me about something.'_ before she left.

She and Amber hugged and ate grilled cheese sandwiches… and Amber got Alison to set the cup of Colombian coffee down and let go.

"Just so it won't go splashing everywhere… a girl about the same age as you, me and Brady turned up yesterday claiming to be a relative." Amber explained.

"Is she running a scam?" Alison asked.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. We're not sure, Mom and Dad both asked more questions and Alyx went quiet after a simple 'No.' and left." Amber answered.

"Well you did say that your mom's side of the family is estranged from you and your family because they don't like Sonny. Maybe Alyx got anxious." Alison responded as _Take Me Home _by Phil Collins played on the radio and Alison and Amber softly sang along. "That one goes back a long time." She replied.

"Way before we were born, Ali girl." Brady responded as he walked in and they hugged for a few seconds. "Something's weighing on your mind." He replied as he sat down.

"Erica's killer walked free." Alison responded.

"Oh damn it! Ali, I'm sorry, I know how much she meant to you, Roni and Miguel." Amber replied.

"I just can't wrap my mind around her being gone and it's been 5 months since I found her in the rec center shower with a needle in her right arm and bruises on her neck and arms. That dealer and his thug held her down and shot Heroin into her bloodstream!" Alison responded, brushing tears away as she remembered hugging Erica one last time.

Nearby and looking at a picture of Larry, Sonny brushed his own tears away as he thought back.


	2. Healing Takes Time

_**A/N: Enrique is JPM1978's character (**__**JPM1978 is a**__**lso known as traceandpierre) from Days Gone By. And since it's never said whether the Down For The Count episode what time of year it is, I'm going with the day that the episode aired as the day that Larry died.**_

_**January 9th 1987…**_

_Sonny sat down by Stan, who looked at the coroner van that held Larry's body… and Sonny hugged Stan._

_"Larry's gone… just like Eddie, just like Lou..." Stan responded quietly._

_"Like so many others before us. And each time, it hurts like hell." Sonny replied, Stan nodding._

_"Sonny… we owe it to Larry to put Guzman and his lackeys in the ground." Stan responded, Sonny knowing that by no means was Stan thinking straight._

_"Stan, he wouldn't want them dead." Sonny replied._

_"He can't speak about what he wants anymore, he's gone. How am I gonna tell his mom? She lost her husband when he was working on a case in 1961, she didn't need to lose her little boy." Stan responded._

_"I can go to the house with you for moral support." Sonny replied._

_Stan nodded before they left, reaching the house… and after Elena let them in, she closed the door and her tears formed._

_"How?" Elena asked shakily, knowing from the looks on their faces._

_"He was… working undercover on a case to bring down a cartel… they killed him." Stan explained, Elena sobbing as he held her._

_After what felt like an eternity, Sonny finally let his own tears fall…_

**Present time**_**, January 6th 2010…**_

Gardenias in her hands, Alison stopped a few feet away from Larry's grave as a girl about her age stood up.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you're Alyx." Alison responded.

"Yes, that's me…" Alyx stood up, stepping towards Alison with a look about her that Alison found a little unusual, out of place in the current situation. She seemed little short of shocked, almost like she'd seen someone she never thought she'd see again and hadn't seen in a long time. "Hello Alison."

Alison put the flowers near Larry's grave and turned to Alyx.

"He died before I got to meet him but from what I know, Larry was a great person." Alison responded. "You… you look so similar to Julia." She replied.

Alyx smiled slightly. "I guess you could say it's… recessive. It comes from the same place." She brushed her long hair back, her ponytail previously having rested over her shoulder but now down between her shoulders.

"It does. I don't really know much about her side of the family, they've been estranged for a long time…" Alison responded before feeling a slight itch on her left shoulder, knowing that Larry's spirit was there.

"Yeah, me either." Alyx replied. "I know as little as you about them. Julia doesn't speak about them a lot, not terribly proud I suppose."

"My dad doesn't talk about his uncle either though not terribly proud doesn't even begin to cover it." Alison responded.

_"Damn right it doesn't, Enrique was cold and abusive." _Larry replied.

"Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. I'll… I'll let ya be." Alyx responded before she left, Alison turning to where Larry was stood though she couldn't see him.

"Why weren't you vocal the last time, was it because I brought Ryan with me?" Alison asked.

_"Because only you and Stan can hear me. Best you didn't look a fool talking to thin air, from his perspective. Well… you and her."_ Larry answered.

"That's true. Much like only he and Maria can see Eddie…" Alison responded before a pebble flew past them.

_"Lou, cut that out!" _Larry replied as he saw Lou Rodriguez.

_"Only trying to get her attention!" _Lou responded.

"He senses that something's off about Alyx?" Alison asked.

_"Not just…" _Larry paused for a moment. _"You have no idea who she is but she shouldn't be here, by being here she's… dangerous."_

"Crime related?" Alison asked as she turned to where Lou was.

_"On a scale you've never even thought of." _Lou answered. _"And yes… I know what you're thinking, it's linked to Erica's murder."_

"Son of a bitch! She died the same way Larry did too. Larry, did Guzman have any children or any relatives?" Alison responded.

_"Not that I know of." _Larry explained.

Seeing another grave nearby, Alison brushed away the dirt on it.

"Caitlin Crockett…" Alison responded quietly. "Uncle Sonny never explained how she died but I remember finding out how…" She replied… before she jumped in fright as she could actually see Caitlin.

_"It's okay… you look so much like Gina." _Caitlin responded softly.

"I've heard some stories about you… but every time Sonny tells one, I see pain in his eyes." Alison replied before she heard some leaves crunch. "Erica?" She responded before seeing the blue eyed brunette spirit crouch down.

_"Ali, you know what you have to do. And so do you, Lou… just don't rile Elvis up by appearing to Sonny." _Erica replied.

_"That alligator tried to take my hand off once!" _Lou responded.

"He nearly pulled Britt's right leg off with his teeth a few weeks back." Alison replied.

"_She did antagonize the poor old man, he's grumpy these days." _Erica responded.

A short walk down the street, sat within a dark grey luxury sports car Alyx was gazing out ahead, her mind jumping from place to place deep in thought. She wanted to tell them, all of them, who she was. It was damn near crippling that she couldn't…

She looked across as she heard a beep, reaching over towards the middle of the dash. She pushed and held in the volume button on the radio for two seconds, before a hidden panel opened on the passenger side of the dashboard. Among the number of assorted items within was a small blue screen which was lit up with a worded message.

'_Are you finished socialising?'_

Alyx sighed before she reached over and tapped on a small keyboard a simple response. _'Yes.'_

'_You are there to take out a target, not to make friends with your family.'_

'_I want to tell them.' _Alyx answered. It took a bit longer for the next message to appear.

'_Don't yet. When the time comes, when the mission allows it, you can tell them.'_

Alyx responded quickly, promptly partially regretting her impulsive response afterwards. _'I don't like where this 'mission' is going.'_

The next response was almost instant. _'I don't care.' _

She closed the hidden panel again, briefly returning her gaze ahead down the street, before she got up out of her seat and left the car, starting to walk away again.

If anyone else had been in the car though, and if they had happened to look at the very top of the windshield or in the Aston Martin's mirrors, they'd have seen that it took several seconds before her reflections moved with her.

Finding herself at North Shore E.R, Alison saw Britt and Theresa Lyons.

"I can't prescribe anything stronger, I'm sorry." Theresa explained, Britt fuming but she turned when she heard footsteps.

"Britt, leave Dr. Lyons alone, okay? The pain will go away if you take other steps to heal the wounds." Alison responded.

Britt limped away, Theresa guiding Alison to the break room.


End file.
